


After Everything Falls

by GrizzTheMauler



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Maybe some smut later, Multi, Multiple Survivors of Vault 101, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2020-09-30 23:31:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20455367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrizzTheMauler/pseuds/GrizzTheMauler
Summary: A tale of two brothers figuring out life after the end of the world. A few OCs and a better ending because no Arthur, we're not setting off a nuke in the middle of the damn city. A fic I've been working on for a while now and thought I'd just put it out there.





	1. Prelude to the End

_Friday, September 24th, 2077_  
_ One month before the bombs dropped_

* * *

A surprise. That’s what he’d labeled my party as. Nate was taking me around to do all my favorite things before we would head over to the bar. Lunch with Nora at their place, then off to Cambridge to visit the range. With my new job being a part time officer after we’d retired; we were going to relax a bit. It was a nice change of pace from Special Ops. Nate knew a few of the things I did, sworn to never tell anyone when I’d told him. He said he had a surprise, an old friend from my unit, which confused me, since almost all of them had died, leading to my discharge.

As we pulled up I thought I recognized one of the motorcycles parked in the lot. I shook it off as we went inside. It was lively, many people out and about the bar today. I grinned as my friends from work greeted me. We laughed together as I grabbed a drink. I turned to Nate and froze when I saw him next to my boss.

“Hey Chrys, thought you might know my son, Adrian Oxley.”

“Gunny?” My eyes widened at the sight of Nate’s old CO standing there.

“Happy birthday, Chrys.” His deep voice rumbled as he patted my back. After pleasantries and catching up with everyone for an hour; Adrian and I sat next to each other at the bar and talked. “Yeah, I got family downtown. When Mom and Pop split we went with her since he was military and moved a lot. I thought I told Nate I was retiring?”

“He probably didn’t think to tell me. He does that.” I grunted. In the dim glow of the neon lights he looked really good, especially out of his uniform. Though he did look good in it as well.

“Hey.” I blinked as I noticed him smirking at me. “Say, we’ve been here long enough, want to hit up the park? Need to smoke and can’t do it here.”

I nod. “Sure. I’ll let Nate know I’m heading out.” I stood and walked over to Nate who smirked and patted my ass.

“Don’t forget to protection.” He snickered as I punched his shoulder. “Hey, I figure that you need to get laid, how long has it been eh? Just use that omega charm of yours.”

“Oh shut up, Nate.” I roll my eyes and left the bar. Adrian was waiting outside and he smiled as I walked over to him.

I got a better look at the man as he stood next to his bike. He was over a head taller than I was and wore a casual smirk as we both checked each other out. He handed me a helmet with a wink. “Ready to ride?” I roll my eyes as I put the helmet on. He adjusted it for me, making sure it fit right and then got on, patting the spot behind him. “Hold on tight, yeah? Don’t want you to fall off. Though I’ll catch you if I do.”

“What, by tying me to the bike?” I got on behind him, gripping his jacket as he kicked off and got into the traffic.

“I’d rather tie you to my bed.” He said with a chuckle. “That way I can keep the sexiest omega I've ever seen to myself, eh?” A hand reached behind him and squeezed my knee. I just blinked and tried to tame my sudden arousal. He just laughed and kept driving, stopping when we got to the park. It was nearing sunset and he and I walked around Boston Commons, Adrian lighting up a cigar and blowing rings.

We talked for a bit, I found out that he didn’t have a job yet, since he was just out, and living off a rather large pension, though he was living with family. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to join law enforcement or just outright retire early with the pension he earned from the military.

“They paid us Commanders well enough.” He chuckles. “Especially since we’re practically damaged goods now.” He shook his head.

I snort. “Yeah. Those of us in Special Forces were well compensated. They got me this job, my apartment and enough money to last me a lifetime. Though I think it's mostly to discourage me from fighting since 'The battlefield is no place for an omega.'”

"Their opinions are ignorant. And they call us the lucky ones.” He stopped to look up at one of the statues that had been put up after the War. He held a scowl as he looked around. “The real lucky ones never went to fight. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like.. Well for you and Nate. I was originally going to make it my career, just serve like my father.”

“War changes people.” I sighed. “I’d never imagined taking someone’s life before it. But I did, so many lives. Watched all of my friends and squadmates die. Still doesn’t feel worth it, you know? But it’s over, and I’m here. A rookie cop to be and a relatively quiet life ahead of me.”

We sat on a bench and he chuckled as a relatively cool wind swept through. He gave me his jacket and I thanked it for it as we talked into the night. I found that we had similar interests, rooted for the same baseball team and were generally a good fit. I was glad that I met him, and when he dropped me off at home I didn’t resist his kiss, smiling as he got on his bike and headed home.

We met several times again over the next week before we made love. And after a month we decided to have him move in, I had plenty of space.

“Three floors… You sure this is an apartment, babe? It’s as big as a house.” Adrian grunted as he set the last of his boxes down in the bottom floor, a wide empty area I just used half for storage and half as a studio for my artistic hobby. When I found that he didn’t mind being either model or muse I’d gone ahead and painted him. HIs parents loved it and I gave it to them as a present, along with a drawing of them as well.

“Watch the instruments.” I moved my violin out of the way, placing it next to my guitar. “It’s not a house, there’s a diner below us. Though I’ll admit that it’s bigger than Nate’s place. But I earn like three times as much as they do combined and we come from a well off family at that.”

“I’m just saying, it’s massive as-” He pulls out his lighter to smoke.

I snatch his cigar. “NO smoking inside. That’s what the roof is for.”

“Taking away all my fun.” He grumbled but put his lighter away and I set the cigar on the coffee table. “All the paperwork is done, yeah?”

“Yep, we’re registered for the same Vault as Nate. Vault 101 just next to Sanctuary Hills.” We head upstairs. “Nate has his speech tomorrow so we’ll head over in the morning, yeah?”

“Mhmm.” He kissed the side of my head. “We’ll bring over some donuts. Don’t forget I have a speech that day too.”

“I know you do. I’m going to be glad that it’s over so you’ll stop spouting off about the granduer of a set of T-40 Power Armor in combat. Typical Army jarhead.”

“Heh. What can I say, I love my power armor. I’m surprised they let me keep my T-60. But wrote it off as a collectable and kept the Core. Even transported it here for us. Now to get my side of the room into a respectable workshop.”

“You spent a lot of time modding it too. Pretty sure it was so they didn’t have to scrap it.” I roll my eyes.

“Hey, I loved modding it, some of those mods saved my life, you know.” He grabs a Nuka from the fridge, popping it open and tossing the cap into the container. “Also, that’s a lot of caps you’ve got now. How many boxes are stocked away?”

“At the rate I go through Nuka Cola? A lot, big guy.” I grunted as I sat down to sip on my own Nuka. I flicked on the TV in time for the Unstoppables Animated Show. We both loved comics and half of the stuff Adrian had brought over was his huge comic collection. Underneath the leather and cigar smoke lay a massive comic nerd and armsman.

“I’m glad I got that Grognak Costume in time for Halloween.” The alpha grunted as he sat down, next to me on the couch, pulling me into him. “And I’ll have a sexy Silver Shroud with me.”

“I have to get the hat still.”

“Shhh. Show's on babe.” He grinned.

I rolled my eyes at him and just smiled as we listened to the show, the setting sun casting sweet innocent rays through the gaps in the blinds. _Life is as it should be. A man at my side I can grow old with, and a home._ I took a sip from my Nuka as Adrian cheered the Silver Shroud on. I kissed his cheek before I turned back to look at the tv.


	2. Awash with Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya, been a bit out of it after getting all of my wisdom teeth taken out. Yep, all four at the same time. Been high off my ass for about a week. I'll have the next chapter up sooner I swear e.e
> 
> Anyways, here's the next chapter. I've finished the outline so updates will be weekly, about every Friday/Saturday. Enjoy!

_Saturday, October 23 2077. 0838 hours_

_Nathan_

* * *

Nate woke early as he always did, getting coffee after checking on his newborn son, Shaun. Nate was excited for the day, he'd be giving a speech today alongside his brother's boyfriend, Adrian, at Veteran's Hall. the latter pair would be arriving anytime soon as they were going to an early lunch. Getting into the bathroom, Nate readied himself as Nora showered. She gave him a kiss on the cheek as he brushed his teeth, wiping off a bit of paste from the side of his mouth.  
  
"Adrian called and said they'll be here in about twenty minutes and they are bringing breakfast." He told her as she exited.  
  
"Donuts and scones." His wife smirked. "Well, I'll have to skip my morning Sugarbombs then." She left him to finish getting ready.  
  
Nate left the bathroom and took a coffee from Codsworth, ever grateful for the Mr. Handy and sat down to finish reading his Grognak. He'd gotten a few pages in before his brother knocked on the door and let himself in, Adrian following with breakfast. "Good morning, Chrys."  
  
His brother grinned, embracing him. "Mornin'. We got the goods." He hugged Nora as she came over. "Big day today, yeah?"  
  
Adrian chuckled as he shook Nate's hand. "Sorry 'bout him." His deep voice rumbled with mirth as he looked over at his small partner heading into Shaun's room, cooing at the baby. "We finally got the new meds working and he's doing pretty well with them. Won't get pregnant yet."  
  
Nate smiled. "That's good. He's had rough heats with other meds. I see you got your new truck in." He elbowed the big man playfully as he grabbed a donut. He handed Adrian a coffee who thanked him as they went outside to check out the new vehicle.  
  
"Testa Conqueror Model T." Adrian was practically beaming at it. "I figured today would be a good day to take her out and give her a much needed spin."  
  
"She's beautiful." Nate checked out the black and red car. It was fitting for a large man like himself. "I bet you could fit a T-60 in the back there."  
  
"Probably three or four."  
  
"I'd say you were compensating for something but I've seen it and damn... I'm jealous."  
  
Adrian laughed. "Don't make me blush. I've got my hands full with-"  
  
"Nate! Adrian!!" Nora's voice cried out to them. The two men rushed into the house. where Chrys pointd to the TV, his face paling by the second.  
  
"-Followed by flashes. Blinding flashes. Sounds of explosions... We're uh.. We're trying to get confirmation..."  
  
"Oh no.." Nate murmured. "Oh God no..."  
  
"But we've seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations." The Newscaster continued. "We do have.. Coming in... Confirmed reports. I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania.... My God.." The broadcast went to standby as the man broke down, his face in his hands, visibly shaking.  
  
"Nate..." Nora began.  
  
Nate took a deep breath. "We're going to the Vault, now. Adrian, Chrys…"  
  
"We're right behind you." Adrian took Chrys' hand and squeezed, a firm look in his eyes. They grabbed their emergency Vault bags, something Adrian had insisted on keeping at Nate's just in case.  
  
Nate nodded as Nora went to grab Shaun. "Codsworth.."  
  
"I understand, sir." The robotic butler said. "I shall remain here waiting for you to return."  
  
"You're a saint, Codsworth."  
  
"Always a pleasure."  
  
Nate took one last look at his home before leading everyone out. People were panicking but the four of them kept their heads as Shaun cried. Nora did her best to comfort him as they made it to the gate where a guard looked them over. Nate noted that the Vault Tek rep was there.  
  
"Names?" The guard eyed up Adrian.  
  
"Nathan and Nora Corriender. And Shaun." Nate stated. He held Nora's hand tightly.  
  
"Two adults and one infant. You can go in. Names?" He ushered them in where a guard led them up.  
  
"Chrysaor Corriender and Adrian Oxley." Adrian drawled. "We should be on the list together just after his brother."  
  
"Yep. Got you right here, two adult males, Alpha and Omega. In you go, good luck." He let them pass, telling off the Rep. "You aren't on the list you ain't getting in."  
  
Nate nodded as Chrys and Adrian arrived. The nodded to each other then cried out as they saw a flash of light.  
  
"Drop the Elevator now!!" A guard screamed. They started to descend, Nate shielding his wife and seeing Adrian drop to a knee with Chrys in his arms as the blast hit, glancing off the top and missing them by mere meters. Looking up they could see the clouds move as the world was awash in blinding light.  
  
"Oh fuck..." Chrys swallowed thickly. "Adrian..."  
  
"I know..." Adrian held him close. Nate held onto Nora and helped quiet Shaun. "We'll be okay. We'll be safe here in the Vault."  
  
"Thanks Nate." Nora kissed her husband's cheek. "Are you glad I got you to sign up for the Vault now?"  
  
Nate snorted as he shook his head. "I just.. God... The world is really ending.."  
  
"It was only ever going to end up this way, huh..." Chrys said bitterly as the elevator came to a stop. The gate opened up and they were lead through past several scientists and Vault-Tek guards.   
  
They were handed Vault Dweller uniforms and lead through to a changing area where they dropped their stuff off in lockers and each of them changed. Even Shaun got a tiny little uniform which was super cute in Nate's opinion and he told Nora so who laughed and smiled. She laughed harder when Chrys asked her if the suit made him look good.  
  
"Only you'd crack jokes at the end of the world." Nora shook her head.  
  
"Someone's gotta keep the mood light. I hope they've got suppressants here because I left mine at home..." Chrys grumbled.  
  
"I'm sure they will." Nate said as they followed the Scientists to the decontamination area. Nate immediately picked up on Chrys' unease as he scowled at the area around him.  
  
"Something doesn't seem right here, Nate.."  
  
"I can assure you, Mr. Corriender, we hold the safety of our Residents as one of our Highest Priorities." The Scientist said. "Now we step up in here, and we'll have you settled in no time."  
  
Nate took Nora's hand and kissed her. "I love you, Nora."  
  
"I love you too, Nate." She got into the pod and took a seat, waving to him as he got into his across from her. He could see Adrian get into one next to her, smirking across from him as he nodded to Chrys. He was glad Chrys had found a good man before everything went to hell. He was always worried about his brother, he was a loner at heart, but mostly out of choice. Adrian had helped him open up and with his help, he'd flourished. He smiled at his wife as a wave of cold swept over him. The Scientist had said it would be a bit cold but this was... He felt the world slow down as he grew numb, his eyes becoming heavier. He could hear a dull thump coming from somewhere and he fought to keep awake as darkness swallowed his vision.

* * *

He felt a pinprick of light and heat as he came to, blinking as he felt frost retreat from him. He wasn't sure what was happening as he looked out the window. He caught the sound of the computer saying something.  
  
"Manual override initiated. Cryogenic stasis suspended." The voice said.  
  
Through the intense fog and frost of the pod's window he saw a person move about, heading over to Nora's pod. Nate felt fatigued from whatever had been done and he found himself unable to do much other than blink and watch as a second person came into view.  
  
"This is the one, here." A female voice said. She was dressed in a white hazmat suit and he couldn't see her face.  
  
"Open it up." The man said.  
  
The woman did, opening it up and Nora coughed and wheezed as Shaun cried out. "Is it over? Are we okay?" She said weakly, Nate just barely able to hear her.  
  
The man responded to her, raising a hand. "Almost, everything is going to be just fine."  
  
The woman in the suit reached out to take Shaun. "Come here... Come here baby.."  
  
"What.. No!" Nora held Shaun closer to her. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm only going to tell you once, give us the boy." The man growled, pointing a gun at her.  
  
Nora shook her head. "No! I won't give you Shaun!"   
  
The female struggled to take Shaun from her and the man shot her, Nora falling back into her seat, dead. Nate felt his mouth dry out as he struggled to move to do _something._ "Goddamnit. Get the baby out of here. At least we still have the backups." He came over to peer into Nate's pod. giving him a good look at the man. A long scar over one eye and a balding head. Nate's breath came heavy and fast as he struggled to move his body.  
  
The vault computer chirped as the cryogenic sequence reinitialized, and Nate's world vanished once more.  
  
  
  
\-----------------------------

A piercing light and the sounds of klaxon alarms went off as he came to again, coughing as air filled his burning lungs. He felt himself able to move and he pressed against the pod door, banging against the glass. A few moment later and the pod door opened up, spilling him out onto the floor. He hacked up a bit of bile before wiping his mouth and rushing to Nora's pod, vaguely hearing the computer alarms.  
  
"Warning, Critical Failure in Cryogenic Array. Life support failing in pods 1-5."  
  
He searched for a release on the pod and opened Nora's up, crying out as he was greeted with her thawing body. "N-Nora.." His voice cracked as he collapsed to his knees. "No... Nora.." His mind spinning he registered the other two pods and found Chrys' pod, opening it up and turning to open Adrian's as well. The two men stumbled out of their pods, a dazed expression on their face before Adrian reistered the blank look on Nate's face.  
  
"Oh god..." He helped Chrys up before looking at Nora's body. "I'm so sorry..."  
  
"Nate.." Chrys coughed. "Where's Shaun.. I heard... A gunshot.. There was this man.. Oh no..." He broke off from Adrian and took his brother into his arms. "We're gonna find that bastard... We'll make 'em suffer."  
  
Nate nodded as Adrian refroze the body. "We'll give her a proper burial when we can..." The commander side of him taking over. "We need to get out of here and figure out what the hell happened. We need to find Shaun and get him back..."   
  
Nate nodded. "Alright."  
  
Chrys shook his head. "What the hell did Vault-Tek do to us..."  
  
"We'll figure it out as we go." Adrian pulled him close, kissing his head. "Let's scout the Vault for supplies. Chrys, you feel up to do recon?"  
  
Nate's brother nodded. "Yeah. I'll check out the terminals."  
  
"Good. Nate and I'll will head out and look around. Call if you need us or if you find anything." Adrian leads Nate out, heading to look around. They find that everyone in the cryopods is deceased. All due to asphyxiation from Life Support failure. Chrys grunts the same thing as he meets up with them.  
  
"I wonder if those bastards did this.. But why leave us alive?"  
  
"The man.. He mentioned backups." Nate said, rubbing his arms. "Like he was keeping us alive for something."  
  
"Then why release us." Adrian grunted. "Hell, why even keep me alive if they wanted _your_ kid. I'm just an extra."  
  
"Not to me, asshole." Chrys swatted at him.  
  
"True enough..." Adrian grinned. "Let's get the hell out of here. You ready to move, Nate?"  
  
Nate nodded, following Adrian as he led the way, watching the man pick up a large wrench and weigh it in his hand. It comes in handy when they see a giant cockroach in the next room as they gather supplies; Chrys yelping as it jumps at him, the man ducking out of the way to dodge it.  
  
"Oh fuck me that's not right..." Chrys jumps out of the way again as it continues it's assault as Adrian tosses him the wrench and he slams it down on the bug. "That's just gross. What the hell..." He looks at the carcass, a disgruntled look on his face as Adrian takes the wrench back. They continue looking through the room, taking whatever looks interesting before moving on past the reactor and more roaches. They pass a few doors as they can't open them up yet since they're locked but they find one that is still open and head inside.  
  
"Overseer's room, looks like." Nate murmurs. He heads over to the terminal, gently pushing the skeleton out of the way. It's unlocked, which is good and he reads through it. "This is... Adrian, Chrys, can you believe this?"  
  
The men look over the entries.

_CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL_  
_ OVERSEER EYES ONLY | VIOLATION VTP-01011_  
  
_ Vault 111 is designed to test the long-term effects of suspended animation on unaware, human subjects. Your staff will be on short-term assignment to monitor basic cardiopulmonary and cognitive functions. Long-term monitoring will be handled remotely by Vault-Tec technicians._  
  
_ Under no circumstance is suspension to be disrupted. This includes the administration of live-saving measures. Your staff is also considered expendable. Insubordination or attempts to evacuate prematurely are capital violations. Unused cryogenic pods are the preferred method for cadaver disposal._

Nate stands there, just shocked at what he’s reading.

“They… They were experimenting on us. They were trying to-”

“I think I’m going to head back to see the other terminals we passed…” Chrys turns around and heads back the way they came, snagging a box of bobby pins he finds. “I need answers.”

Adrian sighs. “Be careful.”

“You know I will be, Ad.” His brother calls.

Nate turns his attention to the next entry as Adrian looks at the locked weapon locker. “Cryolator. Looks like the Doc’s personal project. Don’t think I can open the door from here.”

"No… Needs a key. And I’d have to ask Chrys to see if her can find something to open this-”

“Guy check this out.” Chrys calls as he enters the room again. “There was a huge rift of some sort between the nonmedical staff and the Security people against the Scientists. I think… I think there was a fight. Also those bugs are called Radroaches. One of the scientists had been looking into them.” He also shows off a small combat knife he’d found in the security room. He shakes his head when Adrian shows him the door to the locker “Yeah.. Broke one of the bobby pins getting in so I’m not going to attempt that one.. It’s definitely above my skills right now. We can come back for it. Nate, you should take the gun. It’s definitely too small for Adrian.”

“Yeah..” The big man chuckled. “I’d prefer to have a minigun right now. I wonder what the surface will be like. I don’t know how long we’ve been.. Away.”

Nate nodded, taking the gun and checking it. “Let’s move out. My guess is we just head out that way… Get back to the main doors and leave.. We’ll come back for Nora when we can figure out a burial.” After everyone assents they do that, coming across more roaches and this time a few skeletons as well. From Chrys’s knowledge of human anatamoy he declares the deaths to be from gunfire.

“They’ve been here a while…” The small man shakes his head. “Let’s keep going… Shouldn’t be too much further, yeah? It’s not like Skeletor over there will rise and attack us.”

As they arrived at the main entrance they stopped and overlooked the bodies strewn out. Adrian let out a low whistle and Chrys just shook his head. Nate nearly gagged, there was a lot of old blood stains on the lab coats and it must have been a huge mess. He spied a few pipboys lying about. “Should we..” He motioned to them.

Chrys nodded. “They aren’t going to need them…” He spies a skeleton wearing a larger Pip-Boy and gives it to Adrian who grunts his thanks. After putting his own on he fiddles with it. “Still works. I wonder…”

Nate glances over. “Wonder what?

“Well, if we can get to our apartment Adri, we have power armor.”

The large man strokes his beard, frowning. “It needs a fusion core. God I wish I had a set of T-50. We’ll have to cannibalize a fusion core from somewhere.” He looks over the console, moving a body with a boot. “I hope the truck’s still around…” He opens up the control panel and slams a fist on the button to open the Vault. The three men wearily assemble a basic strike formation as they wait for the door to move. Adrian takes up point, snagging one of the rifles from a dead guard. Nate takes a spot behind to his right and motions for Chrys to take up a spot next to the door.

After it opens they release a collective sigh. “Nothing. Don’t know if it’s good or bad.” Nate grunts.

Adrian nods. “We’ll see when we get to the surface. Let’s get out of here.”

Nate nods, taking one last look at the Vault as he steps on the elevator. _ “I’ll be back for you, Nora. And I’ll avenge you. I promise.” _


	3. Broken Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrys' PoV

Chrys stood in the elevator with his brother and Adrian. As far as he knew, the world above was gone. Peering up at the sky that he could see as the lift continued it slow ascent, he could see a faint teal tint, though it seemed normal. The assumption changed when they made it to the surface. Devastation lay around them, abandoned vehicles and bleached skeletons. Chrys shivered as he surveyed all that lay around them, minutely grateful for having gotten to the Vault in time...

"God this is a nightmare..." Nate muttered.

"Aye." Adrian replied. He looked over to the crumbling trailers. "Let's scavenge for supplies. If all we have are these vault suits, we won't have much protection... Wish I had my damn jacket."

"Your jacket was very warm and comfortable." Chrys smirked.

The large man shakes his head. "Did I give you my old one? You kept taking my new jacket. If you liked scenting me so much I figured you would have liked the old one."

"Oh, I do. However I also enjoy annoying you." Chrys led the way down the hill. The area was very empty, not a soul in sight. There were, however, birds. Chrys points it out as they head along. "Birds survived the apocalypse, huh. They don't look mutated like the roaches."

"Yeah well, at least they aren't hostile." Nate shivers. "I hated cockroaches before. These are way worse." They made it to the remains of Sanctuary. "This is.. My house.." He took off down the street. The others hurried to catch up to him, noting that a sole robot was trimming the bushes out front, whistling a sad tune. "Codsworth?" Nate gasped out. "Oh my god..."

The robot looked over and if it could gasp it would have. "I dare say..." The robotic butler began. "Master Corriender… It's you.. It's really you... It's been so, sooo long... You left, the bombs dropped and then.. Well, the world ended I guess. There was rioting, I did my best to keep the house nice and tidy but after a decade the rust just got _ so _ hard to clean out of the walls and I.. I.. Oh it's so wonderful that you're alive. It's been 200 years since you left for the vault... And I waited for you to come home..."

The time made the three humans stop for a moment. Adrian spoke first, overcoming his shock first. "Two hundred years, Codsworth?"

"Yes." The butler nodded a camera eye. "Two hundred years, a month and three days according to my calculations. Not that I've been counting. I was just so... Alone.."

Nate shook his head. "God..."

"Is Miss Nora with you by any chance? And Shaun?" Codsworth looked over the group. "I see the three men of the family have returned safely... But where are the others?"

Nate shook his head sadly. "Shaun was kidnapped by some people.. And.. Some man killed Nora." He looked down.

"Oh no..." Codsworth drooped a little. "I'm sorry Sir. We'll find them."

Chrys took a step back from the others to look around at the house. IT was still somehow structurally sound, walls on every side, albeit with holes all over but there was a solid roof overhead. Adrian's truck was still there, and inside he smiled sadly when he spied what was left of Adrian's jacket. Pulling it out he noticed Adrian had walked over to his side, placing a hand on the truck he'd always wanted. "A damn shame... Pretty good condition considering..." Chrys took Adrian's hand. "And at least we have each other still."

"Mhmm." Adrian smiled softly. "I have all I need. Except maybe actual clothes."

"I don't know..." Chrys poked his side. "I kind of like you out of them too."

"Oy. Let's figure out what we need to do to survive before we bone." He laughed. "We've got a lot of lost time to catch up to."

Chrys nodded and the pair headed into the House where nate was sitting on the ruined couch listening to the radio on his Pip-Boy. "There is still civilization. Just not here." Nate said, turning it down a bit. "Looks like my holotape collection is in fine condition, I'll have to give the Station a few of them, give them something better to listen to."

"You have terrible taste, Nathan." Adrian scowled at the man. "I do believe you were told several times that_ Down Comes the Rain _ is not an acceptable song to play when we're in the middle of a fight."

"Hey! It's a good song." Nate huffs.

"Seconded." Chrys smirks as Adrian gives a firm shake of his head. "I prefer _ Crossfire _ myself. Should have a good collection of some goldies back in our apartment. If it's in as good condition as this place is. Brick lasts longer as it is, we'll just need to fix it up. Which is what you're good at."

"Well, let's head over to Concord. It's a bit closer than Downtown Boston and we should see people there, hopefully." Nate stood up, stretching and turning off the radio as _ Butcher Pete _ came on. "It's not too far away. We can make the walk there and even have enough time to return here if we need to. The only worry I have is.. We're a bit low on weapons..."

Adrian chuckles. "Codsworth, can I get a hand for a second? I need you to help me get the truck bed open. I have a few things in there I think will help."

Codsworth nodded. "Of course, sir." They left to head outside where sounds of grinding and a torch cutting metal began to sound. Chrys looked over his brother who had a tape in his hands that he was just staring at. "How are you holding up, Nate? You got the shit end of the stick here..."

"Its.." Nate began. "It's a lot to take in. I want to just break down and sob but also I want to get revenge for Nora... She was my best friend. Sure, we had our problems and stuff but.. She was always there."

"Yeah..." Chrys looks out the back window. "I was surprised with how everyone else was killed in the Vault but us... I'm worried that I won't be able to se the meds I need to control my heat, and the meds that helped my PTSD."

"We need to be here for each other again."

"I've always got your back, big brother." Chrys smirked. "I didn't excel in Spec Ops for no reason. Guess I'll have to go back into the field. For all we know this is just as harsh a world as we left back in Anchorage."

"I hope Dad and Pop's graves are relatively untouched..." Nate sighed. "Hell, our entire family is gone now but Shaun."

"We'll be okay, Nate." Chrys hugged his brother tightly. "I promise."

Outside Adrian let out a whoop and charged in cradling his find, his hunting shotgun and rifle and a bunch of shells. "Forgot to bring them in when I went hunting. Rifle is a bit rusty but it should work fine. No water damage or rust."

Chrys checked the rifle carefully. "I need a bit of oil for the bolt lever and it's pretty usable." The men took a bit of time to check weapons they possessed. They had two 9mms, a Hunting Rifle, A single lever shotgun, two combat knifes and a hatchet. Chrys took the Rifle as he was the best sniper, and one of the pistols and a knife. Adrian, being the tankiest, took the shotgun, and the hatchet.

"I can whip it at someone at fifteen paces." The big man grinned. "Besides, I can take a few hits. Plus if we can get some Power Armor I can just charge them."

"I'm not a specialist like you guys so it works out well for me." Nate said as he holstered his pistol and took the remaining knife. "I wish we had a way to communicate over distances, that way we could have Chrys scout out the safest routes."

"I'm going to scout anyways. I can probably leave signs. You remember them Adri?"

"Aye." He nodded. "I'll teach Nate as we go along. Which type you using?"

"I figure Standard. Though if I need to use a Special you'll be able to translate it effectively." Chrys shouldered his Rifle as they said goodbye to Codsworth for now and headed to the bridge. "I suggest you guys follow the road. I'll head off after Red Rocket and cut a path directly towards the town."

"Sounds good." Adrian nodded.

The men stopped when they got to the bridge, seeing a few corpses. "Well... He died from injuries.. Though it looks like his stuff is fine..." Nate observed. "Should we loot him?"

"I don't think it could hurt." Chrys said. He moved to strip the dead man down, noting that the blood had mostly dried. "I'll wash it off with some water..." He cleaned it off with the stuff in his pack, finding that it fit pretty well on him. "Don't look like I came from the Vault now.. I'd tell you guys to find stuff too. This jacket is pretty warm." 

  
  


“We’ll keep a lookout…” Nate’s head snapped up as a dog’s bark echoes out as they near the Red Rocket. A german shepard comes bounding out, panting as he sees the group. He’s a bit cautious before Nate, who worked with dogs during the war, gets him to come. He takes a liking to Chrys, who feeds him a bit of the jerky he found in a pocket, noting that the previous owner must have been the guy they found on the bridge. They spy a tag with the name Dogmeat and Nate quickly works through his known commands, commenting that he can find a lot of things as he charges towards the garage.

However when they started after him, the ground started shaking, a bunch of mutated moles burrowing up fro underground and moving to attack Dogmeat. The three men reacted fast, moving to take them out. Chrys took the high ground and started to pick them off. Adrian drew his axe and charged in, kicking one into a pillar where Chrys shot it in the eye. Nate used his pistol to keep them off his back as a much larger one came out, Dogmeat biting at it. They took the brood mother down and went over their injuries.

“Nothing too serious.. A little scratched up is all.” Adrian grunted, letting Chrys tend to the wound. “I’ll be fine.” He gave the omega a quick peck. “I’m pretty hardy.” He started for the gas station itself, checking out the inside.

“And foolish.” Chrys smacked him. Stepping back he looked to his brother. “I’ll keep heading forward. Make sure he doesn’t charge off into danger. He’s not invulnerable.”

“I am with a good set of Power Armor!” The large man yelled. “I’ll get a set and you’ll see.” He grumbled as he stooped to check something.

“Don’t worry.” Nate shook his head. “I’ve got him. You and Dogmeat are the ones who should be careful. You’re rushing headlong into danger.”

“I also am the one with proper training on scouting. Enemy territory.” Chrys shrugged at his brother. “We’ll just have to wait and see.” He went into the store section, to get Dogmeat who had followed Adrian. The large Alpha was rummaging around in the garage with Dogmeat trailing.Chrys reached down to pet him as he spoke to his boyfriend. “I’m heading out.”

The large man turned and sighed. He pulled Chrys into him, hugging him tight and kissing the side of his head. “Alright. Be careful. I know you can take care of yourself, but you aren’t the Calvary like I am.” The two men shared a kiss before Chrys walked out, heading towards Concord with his rifle resting on his back and Dogmeat beside him.

The wasteland was oddly quiet. Chrys kept his eyes roaming as he observed the area around him. Making his way down the road he came upon a whole bunch of land mines that he disarmed and added to his pack carefully. They could be useful later on and he didn’t want the others to trip them.

It was the sound of distant gunfire that led Chrys to Concord. Checking his rifle he made his way towards it, sneaking quietly as he got into the town. He could see a bunch of raiders shooting at someone and grimaced as someone fell of the balcony to the the museum.

“Alright Dogmeat, stay boy.” The pup woof softly and watched as the man lined up his shots. He caught the brigands unaware, managing to take 4 out of the six out before they dashed into cover. “Go, Dogmeat!” Chrys jumped his barricade as he rushed in to a new spot, watching the dog charge in. Working together, Dogmeat flushed them out of their spots as he took the last two out. He checked his rifle as he came close, seeing a dark skinned man whistle as he looked down at him.

  
“Damn… That was some sharp shooting you got there.” 

  
“Comes with the training.” Chrys checked Dogmeat and nodded when he noticed he was okay sending him to pick up some ammo, showing him what he needed. “Looks like you could use the help.” 

  
“Mighty glad of you.” The man nodded, face solemn. “Could probably use it a bit more if it’s not too much trouble. Got a few settlers here.” 

  
Chrys scowled. “Fuck… I’ll be on it. Dogmeat, come on, boy. We’ll treasure hunt later.” He headed inside the building, picking up the laser musket along the way, slinging it on his back. It lookd simple enough to use so he wasn’t too worried. With his rifle steady he took out the first raider he saw with a bullet to the eye and ducked behind cover as the shooting began in earnest.  
  


  
“Looks like we got ourselves a hero!” One laughed. “Take out his legs. We’ll have some fun with him before we kill him, just like the others.”

  
“Fat chance you will.” Chrys growled, taking out another raider. He noticed the door and lunged to it, getting inside. He tackled the raider to the ground and with a quick draw of his knife, took him out with a slash to the throat. Throwing it at the next that came he blocked another bullet with his own rifle, grimacing as he heard the crack. Their weapons were shoddy at best and lacked firepower. His sidearm came out and he took out the raider after dogmeat dragged him to the ground. “Well shit.” He put his sidearm away and pulled out the musket. Testing the loader he grinned as he charged it up, taking out another raider as he came to the the door.  
  


  
“Just kill him! He’s only one guy!!” The voice called out.  
  


  
“Yeah, I’m fucking Military, dumbass!” Chrys called back as he took out one by the next door, charging towards the divet created by the collapsed floor. Tossing out one of the rigged mines he bought himself some time as he noticed the generator, chuckling. “I’ll come back for you.” He adjusted his jacket, said a quick prayer and progressed forward.

  
The raiders were amateurish at best. Chrys walked through them like a storm, wiping them all out. He found more fusion cells, making notes to get more. He knocked on the door to the room, calling out to Preston.   
  


The man opened the door and Chrys winced at the sour smell of fear in the room. “Thank God you made it..”   
  


  
“Wasn’t too hard. They’ve got nothing on me.” He entered the room after Preston. “Name’s Chrys. I have a few friends coming this way. I need to mark the balcony.” He headed to the platform, dodging a bullet as a raider fired. “Oh come on…” Throwing himself back into the room, kicking the door shut.   
  


“There's more of them?” Preston groaned.   
  


  
“Yeah.” Chrys moved to grab a sandbag, moving it to the door and getting out to the balcony. He started firing on the new wave of raiders. He heard his brother and Adrian as they charged through them. Together with Preston they gave them cover fire as they got inside. They retreated, Chrys heading to the balcony   
  


  
“Babe! Grab the fusion cell from the basement.” Chrys called out.   
  


  
“Oh fuck yeah. Gonna get my power armor back.” The large alpha growled, grabbing it before heading up. Nate tapped his fist and Adrian spun him around to check him for injuries.   
  


  
“Nate was right, you and danger just love each other. I’m almost jealous.” He groused, kissing Chrys.   
  


  
Preston blinks.looking away from the display with a blush as Nate rolls his eyes. Chrys pushes Adrian back. “Enough. Not the time, or place.”   
  


  
Another man laughs at the display, shaking his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen a male omega in such a long time.” He holds out his hand. “Name’s Sturges. You any good with power armor?”   
  


  
Adrian grins. “Am I? I retrofitted my own damn set. Fucking beauty she is.”   
  


  
Sturges grins. “Well there is a set on the roof next to a crashed helicarrier. If you can use that it’ll make quick work of the raiders I’d bet. I don’t trust myself enough to use it.”   
  


Adrian nods. “Alright. Chrys with me, You and Nate will clear out the raiders from the museum while I get the Armor up and running. Chrys take the sniper nest up top and offer fire support.” The man rubbed his beard, planning the assault as he pulled on some of the Raider’s leathers, Nate doing the same. “I’ll drop down to the ground from the roof and that’ll be your signal, Nate, to exit and guard my six.” He takes Chrys’ musket, smirking.   
  
  


Nate nodded. “Alright. I’ll take a musket.” He goes to his door, reading his weapon.   
  
  
Adrian and Chrys take the other door and with a nod, Chrys opens it, stepping into cover as Adrian runs out, shooting up anyone he sees with his musket. Chrys follows, using his sidearm to offer cover fire as Nate leaves his side. They work quickly, the three soldiers finishing their objectives and Chrys follows Adrian up onto the roof.   
  


  
“Oh damn..” Adrian hurries over as Chrys checks for other raiders. Adrian gives him the musket as he fiddles with the armor. “It’s in good enough shape. A bit of rust and a few plates are missing but it’s solid.” He puts the fusion core in, powering it up. The large man grunts as he gets in. “Bit tight. I’ll be fine though.” He closes it around him and rips the minigun from the helibird. “Alright. Ready?” He revs the minigun in preparation.   
  


  
Chrys nods. “Aye.” he charges up his musket, getting into position.   
  


Adrian charges off the roof, hitting the ground with a squelch. “Fucking hell…”   
  
  
“OH MY FUCKING GOD HE CRUSHED JEMISON!!” A raider screams, moments before being torn up by bullets.   
  


  
Chrys took aim and started firing down on them, rolling to the side to avoid getting hit and keeping pressure on the enemies as the three men tore through them. When it’s done Chrys is about to enter the building when the rumbling and roaring sound out. Hurrying over to see, he can hear Adrian yelling.   
  


  
“What the fuck is that thing?!?!” Adrian just kept shooting at something.   
  
  
Chrys scrambles across the roof and looks down to see a large reptilian creature with massive claws bat Adrian to the side and attempt to pounce on him. For anyone else, they would have been done there but Adrian was one of the best in a set of power armor and he rolled out of the way, grabbing it’s head and wrenching it to the ground snapping the beast’s neck, using the hole it crawled out of as a fulcrum.   
  


  
Chrys charged down into the building and ran outside, running to check on Adrian. Nate had gotten him out of the armor, and was taking his vitals. Adrian just panted with his eyes closed.

  
  


"What the fuck was that thing? Looked like a juiced up lizard." He cracked an eye open and patted Chrys' hand. "I'm okay. Took a nasty gash to the leg but a stim-pac and some rest will take care of it."

  
  


"You're reckless." Chrys shook his head as he checked the armor. It was usable, however it really needed maintenance now. Several plates had been torn off but he knew that Adrian could fix it. He'd probably add a few mods to it if he could. Shaking his head he patted Adrian's shoulder as They helped him up and got him in the armor again. Adrian grunted but the suit helped him walk better so he didn't complain.

  
  


The group headed inside and met with Preston and the others. He introduced them to everyone. 

  
  


"So you guys came from the vault?" Sturges asked. "Damn… You're the first free omega I've seen in a while other than Jun here."   
  
  


“They don’t last long in the Wasteland.” A woman grunts bitterly. “Just look at Jun.” She motions to a man who just whimpers, eyes wide as he quakes.   
  


  
“Hey.” Preston shakes his head. “These are vault dwellers, I doubt they would take advantage of any omega.”   
  


  
Adrian scowls. “Of course we wouldn’t. I have my own." He slings an arm around Chrys. "We were in the middle of bonding before the bombs hit."

  
  


"Still not sure when my heat will hit." Chrys shuddered. "We didn't get that far yet."

  
  


"We have some suppressants that they had in cryo, too." Nate noted. "I left them with Codsworth since I wasn't sure if you still took them."

  
  


"I wasn't but it would help greatly." Chrys nodded. "We can take them back towards Sanctuary."

  
  


"So there is a place there?" Preston gasped. "Well damn…"

  
  


"I told you, it's the Sight." Mama Murphy said. "You there… You have something of your own, huh." She peered closely at us. "All three of you do…"

  
  


"I'm not exactly certain what you're talking about. But yeah, Sanctuary was where Nate used to live before we went into the Vault. A bit run down but it's safe." Adrian shivered.

  
  


Preston nodded. "Well, let's get to moving then." The others agreed and they started heading out.   
  
  


The walk back was relatively engagement free. Nate chatted up with Preston, finding out what had happened while the three survivors had been in cryo. He spoke of the wasteland and its dangers. Of his hope to bring back the Minutemen who helped the Commonwealth. The tragedy they all had face and the mentions of a mysterious Institute no one could pin down. Adrian was a bit mollified at the destruction he’d seen, the ruins of the city he'd called home.

  
  


He took Chrys under his arm, squeezing him softly to remind himself that he was there. Before this, he was finally ready to settle down, have some kids. But he didn't know what to expect from this new world and the thought of losing Chrys or even Nate was hard. 

  
  


"You okay, Adri?" Chrys looked up at him. "You're oddly quiet."

  
  


"I'm…" Adrian started before letting out a sigh. "I'm worried. We had just gotten done fighting. Barely a month after the all that time we've been skirting by each other. I don't want to lose you. Not after I spent the better part of five years to get you by my side."

  
  


Chrys grunted. "You won't be rid of me so easily, Adrian. Plenty have tried. I'm not a weak omega that needs to be coddled. I'm pretty damn strong." He looked off into the distance towards downtown Boston. "We'll be okay. We'll get your armor fixed up, we'll head over to our apartment and see if our stuff is fine or not. From looking and what Preston's said, I'm fucking rich."

  
  


"How so?" Sturges asked. "You've been in the vault for a long time."

  
  


"He's got an entire hoard of Nuka caps and bottles of the stuff." Nate chuckled. "Seven boxes if I remember right."

  
  


"They came in handy, eh?" Chrys grinned. "Probably a hundred thousand caps. Then there's Adrian's modified power armor."

  
  


"Hopefully the scavengers didn't get to it." Adrian growled. "I'd rip them apart. I worked hard on that."

  
  


"Damn… We got real lucky when the Wasteland spat you out of the Vault. I'd hate to be on your bad side." Preston whistled.

  
  


"Good." Chrys nodded. "There's Sanctuary. Gonna be a shock for Codsworth, eh?"

  
  


Nate laughed. "It's not much to look at."

  
  


Preston stared as the group entered. "Well damn… It's pretty defensible. Several houses are still standing. Not much to do on that end."

  
  


"Aye. Let's get settled in." Sturges grinned. "I call that rubble house over there. I'll make it a nice shelter."

  
  


"For now, let's just focus on.."

  
  


"Sirs! You've returned!" Codsworth floated over and greeted everyone. "I've gone on ahead and done some cleaning. Oh look you have a puppy. He's adorable. I believe I saw a doghouse behind one of the houses we can use for him."

  
  


Nate chuckled. "I did say I wanted a dog. Nora was allergic though." He smiled at Dogmeat sadly who was getting head scratches from Codsworth. 

  
  


Sturges coughed. "We should get to work before night falls. Let's start with some beds. We can work on other things tomorrow."

  
  


Adrian, Nate and Chrys shared a look and nodded, the smaller man speaking first. "We can probably get this started before we adventure out. Diamond City should have stuff, though I want to head over to Cambridge and see the remnants of the place myself, Ghouls or not."

  
  


Nate nodded. "I can travel with Dogmeat towards Downtown. You should travel with Adrian." He winked.

  
  


"As much as I'd love to sleep with my man, I don't want to risk anything until we're more secure." Adrian shook his head. "We also need to visit our apartment. See if it's in good condition."

  
  


Nate shrugged. "Well, my house is in shambles."

  
  


"I did try to keep it intact, sir." Codsworth interjected. 

  
  


"You did a great job." Nate replied. "I don't blame you for anything." He let out a deep sigh, patting Dogmeat. "Let's get this housing thing done, then we'll sleep and head put in the morning."

Adrian grunted in assent. "As of now, we'll treat it as an Active Hostile Zone. We'll meet up before we head out. Now let's go help these folks get beds, and see if we can scrounge up a dinner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while, eh? I've got another two chapters in the works and a sort of schedule worked out so expect more soon.
> 
> ~Grizz


	4. Shadows of Steel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back. Been a while, eh?
> 
> Content warning in the beginning for some mild depiction of sexual assault. It's about a couple of paragraphs but it's an insight into Chrys' past.

Adrian grunted as he shifted in the bed, a soft whine coming from Chrys as he burrowed deeper into his side. “Morning, cub.”   
  
“Fuck you.”   
  
“I’m pretty sure we fucked last night, unless you wanna go another round? I’m down for that.” Adrian grinned, kissing Chrys’ forehead. “I’m pretty much always willing to ravage you.”   
  
“...What time is it.”   
  
“Uh… 6:12.” Adrian checked his clock. He blinked as he looked down as Chrys shifted and climbed on top of him. “Babe?”   
  
“Go back to sleep.” He grunted.   
  
Adrian shook his head, rubbing his smaller lover’s back. “As much as I want to, I’m about to get up. You know I like working out early and I want to work on that power armor we got.”   
  
“No….” He snuggled up and attempted to curl around Adrian. “Don’t go.”   
  
Adrian sighed. “I promised Sturges I’d help him set up the rest of the frames before tonight so we can head out to the Apartment tomorrow.”   
  
Chrys groaned, sliding off. “Fine… I’ll be here I guess.”   
  
Adrian smiled, kissing him. “Hey, I’ll make sure you go to bed happy, yeah? I’m not leaving you to explore the Wasteland alone. You’re stuck with me for a long time.” He sat up, pulling on his clothes and kissed his omega goodbye.   
  
Outside there was a light rain but he paid it no mind as he got over to his armor. He whistled as he began to work, repairing each piece and repainting with what he and Sturges had found. The man coming over whistling as he worked on the wiring inside the suit.   
  
“Damn… You really are good at that.” The man looked over the work.   
  
“I helped develop it.” Adrian grunted as the circuits sparked him. “Damn.. I’d need some components to make it how I like it. I’m going to enhance the armor defenses and make the power draw more efficient.” He tightened the suspension chains. “So, tell me about yourself, Sturges. Where you from, what led you to meet Preston?”   
  
“Well, it’s a bit of a long story, friend.”   
  
“I don’t mind. We’ve got time…” Adrian worked on the power armor while they talked. They shared childhood stories, Adrian regailing Sturges with stories about the rusted out cars and motorcycles.

“Whoa… All we see is the occasional vertibird…”   
  
“We had these real big vehicles, called Tanks that could just plow through an enemy line. Hige fuckers. Hand me the needle pliers, thanks. So, these tanks were the inspiriation for Power Armor. Went through a fuck ton of testing before the T-40. The feeling of power when I first jumped into one, though? Damn… Never looked back. Where Chrys gets his accolades for being a damn ninja, I got called the Grizzled Tank. Marched right through enemy lines in a set of T-54 with modded specs. This suit here will be temporary. We’re heading to our place to see what’s up with it. My old set should be there. Fucking beaut she is. Only woman I’ll be inside of.”   
  
Sturges laughed at that. “You’ve had a good life.”   
  
“Not exactly.” Adrian shook his head. “While we didn’t always face death, we had different struggles. I had it better than most, being an Alpha, but Chrys... “ He shook his head. “His father wanted an Alpha son. Didn’t care that Nate was a beta. Lost it when Chrys presented. From what I’ve been told… It was bad. “Father got imprisoned” bad.”   
  
“He..” Sturges recoiled in shock. “No…”   
  
“Yeah… Chrys left for the military the next year. The war was starting and he couldn’t stand being home while everyone turned on him for what had happened. Nate went with him. I was already in at the time and Nate was put in my squad.” He spliced some wires in his helmet, checking to see if it would hold up. “Chrys got lucky. His CO was one of the best. Commander Bjornson. Josh was an amazing soldier.” He sighed.   
  
“What happened to him?”   
  
“He died.” Chrys sat on the workbench nearby, looking off into the rain. “No one wanted an Omega in their squad… And well, Josh was an omega too. See, when it’s just a bunch of guys out in a field, anything can happen.”   
  
Adrian stopped working and went over to Chrys. He placed a hand on his leg. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”   
  
“I know.” He cupped Adrian’s face. “I never told you what happened to your ex. And I’m sorry. There’s a lot more to what happened that day.” He took a deep breath. “Josh and I were on our patrol route. See, Josh was on these new suppressants. They allowed him to pass as a Beta. Well.. They didn’t know about that when they attacked us. Our own squad was so jealous that I wasn’t acting like “A Proper Omega” that spread his legs for them whenever they wanted and gallavanted off like he owned the place.” Chrys’ fists clenched. “So they decided to take what they wanted. And when he tried to fight back, they did it to him too. Only, they realized halfway through what he was. And it got worse. We were there for a week. Josh… One of them broke Josh’s legs. Real bad… They got rough and took it out on him since he was the “Commander.” They said they would show him his place. They tied me to a post outside and well… THey took him inside... “ He looked up at the ceiling curling up on himself. “They raped and beat him for hours. Days. Then Brad fucking killed him when it wasn’t fun anymore because he stopped resisting. AND THEY NEVER DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT!” HE started to sob, angry tears of pain streaking down his face.   
  
Adrian pulled him into his chest, letting Chrys cry into him. He squeezed him, kissing his head. “Hey, you made it. I… I’m glad you told me.” He looked up to see horror on the faces of those around them. Preston had his hat in his hands, his musket all but forgotten on the ground next to him. Jun and Mary held each other as Sturges stood, shaken. Adrian just held on, his sorrow deep in his bones as a full body ache. “You made it out. You became one of the best damn soldiers on the face of the Earth. You set records that couldn’t be beat by anyone else. You are here with me, okay? I’ve got your back.”   
  
The others dispersed and let the pair be alone. Adrian sat on the workbench and kept holding Chrys to him. They sat there for a long while, not saying anything until Chrys spoke up.   
  
“Thanks, Adri.”   
  
“Hey, no thanks needed.” He shrugged. “You’ve literally been through hell and back. I can’t believe some of the things that they would try and get away with back then. But hey, we’ve got each other now. We’ve got a whole wasteland to conquer.”   
  
Chrys wiped his face. “Yeah. We’ve got a few assholes to kill and a nephew to get back.”   
  
“Can’t believe they kidnap a fucking kid… Whoever the fuck did that is is going to die.” Adrian growled.   
  
“Yeah.” Chrys nodded, standing. “I think I’m going to lay back down.”   
  
Adrian nodded, pulling the man in for a deep kiss. “I love you, Chrys.”   
  
Chrys smiled softly. “I know. You’ve always been there for me. I stayed because of you, remember?” He winked and headed back to their shack.   
  
Adrian smiled. “Should have left you fool.”   
  
“And leave you all alone? Nah, we suffer together.” Chrys waved, flinching slightly at the loud crack of thunder. “Fuck, these storms only got worse when the world ended.”   
  
“Need me to cuddle you so you don’t get scared, babe?”   
  
“Oh go fuck yourself.” Chrys groaned.   
  
“Nah, I got a sexy boyfriend for that.”   
  
“Like you’d let me.”   
  
“Babe, if you want my ass, just ask. It’s yours.”   
  
“.... I find myself at a loss for words.”   
  
Adrian grinned. “Glad to see I have that effect. Go rest up. We should hit your heat when we reach the Apartment so we’ll see about it then. Was thinking taking the highway past Cambridge…”   
  
“They’re in a better place.” Chrys nodded knowingly.    
  
“Y-yeah..” Adrian sighed. “Fuck.. I almost wished I could have had them in the Vault…”   
  
“I know.” Chrys left, leaving Adrian to sit on the workbench, a solemn expression on his face.   
  
  


\----------------------------------------

  
  


“So… We have huge bugs, deer with two heads, mutated cows and now…” Chrys grunted as he put a bullet in the ghoul’s head. “Fucking zombies.”   
  
“Don’t forget the Raiders, Slavers and Gunners.” Adrian grunted as he stomped on a feral ghoul’s head. “Fuck, i got guts under my plates.”   
  
Chrys chuckled, wiping off his sword. “That’s gross.” He flicked through his pipboy, scowling when he picked up a radio signal. 

“ _ This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. We're requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. _ Automated message repeating…”   
  
“We’re going.” Chrys sheathed his blade.   
  
“Of course.” Adrian turned and together they ran off.    
  
Getting close to the station they heard the sound of laser fire. The two men worked together to cut down the ghous that rose against them, making their way through to the fight ahead. Seeing the large figure in power armor struggling against a large horde with his gatling laser. At the top of the stairs a man in an orange jumpsuit was being attended to by a woman.   
  
“Get the left side!” Adrian called to Chrys, rushing forward and slamming into a ghoul about to lunge at the pair, sinking an axe into the feral’s back. He yanked it back, the modified hook bringing the feral to him where he tossed it into the line of fire of the armored soldier. He saw Chrys draw both blades and dropped his leg guards, dashing through and tearing apart anything that got close. The fight didn’t last too much longer, the three men working together being enough to finish the fight. After, they breathed a sigh of relief as it ended, Chrys cleaning off his blades and grabbing his dropped gun.   
  
“Is that what the storming of Anchorage was like?” Chrys asked Adrian. “I was busy overseas assassinating a leader of a country. Didn’t feel as difficult.”   
  
Adrian shakes his head. “Not even close, babe.” He wipes his axe off and checks the edge, grunting. “Damn.. Gonna need to sharpen it. Need something more durable, wonder if I can get some obsidian.”   
  
“Check the museum in Salem. If it hasn’t been looted, it’ll have something.” CHrys shrugged turning to check on the others.   
  
“That was… Impressive.” The man said, looking between the two. He still carried his gun, though nervously. “Thanks for the assist.”   
  
Adrian shrugged. “It’s nothing.”   
  
“Sir, I’m going to need help with this.” The woman’s eyes were wide. “I can’t stem the bleeding.”   
  
““All we’ve got is stim-pacs and bandages… I’m not…”   
  
Chrys moved quickly, pulling out a rag from those next to the woman. “I’ve got some training.”   
  
“Don’t fucking touch me, scavvie.” The man hissed at Chrys.    
  
“Ha ha. Very funny.” Chrys rolled his eyes. “You alphas and your humor.” He found the wound and cleaned it out with purified water, grabbing a stimpack and injecting it in the man’s leg. “While my brother may be the doctor, I’m not unskilled.” He worked quickly, patching the man up and stepping back. “He’ll need to rest a bit as it all works through his system, but he’ll be fine.” He cleaned off his hands, looking to Adrian. “I’ll wipe out those raiders we saw on our way in.”   
  
“I’ll make sure they’ll be fine.” Adrian nodded, pulling a magnesium flare from his bag. “Keep safe, Chrys.”   
  
“I’m literally trained to take out people like these, except my marks are usually better trained.” Chrys strapped on his leg armor and took off, darting around the building.   
  
The armored man frowned. “Gunners?”   
  
Adrian spat on the ground. “Absolutely not. We’re Pre-War soldiers. Well, retired, but we were Special Forces.”   
  
“So you trained together?” The man asked, holding the door as the others went inside. He carried his gun in, Adrian following.   
  
“No. His task force was a complete secret. Lots of Covert Ops. I was more… Battle trained.” Adrian took off his helmet, carrying it under his arm. “So, what’s the deal here? You guys the last remnants of the Military?”   
  
“Kind of.” The man responded. “Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel.” He held out a hand, smiling when Adrian shook it.   
  
“Master Sergeant Adrian Oxley, U.S Marines.” Adrian winked. “And my partner is Special Officer Chrysaor Corriender.”   
  
“You two mates?”   
  
“Not fully, we had a few relations early on a few years before the bombs dropped, but due to the War, we didn’t really do anything more. We only recently got together. So what’s the deal here?”   
  
“Great, pre-war ghosts joining our doomed squad.” The man grunted, leaning against the wall.   
  
“Knight Rhys, I don’t see how adding two capable soldiers to our unit would be detrimental. Especially considering their level of skill.” Danse countered. He turned to Adrian. “What we need is the Deep Range Transmitter from ArcJet Systems.”   
  
“Alrighty.” Adrian rolled his shoulders. “I’m game.”   
  
“We can pay you for your services so stock up here and let me know when you’re ready.” Danse nodded. “We’ll head out when you’re ready.”   
  
A knock on the door led to Chrys laughing as Dogmeat tackled him through the door. “Easy there, pup!” Chrys grinned, patting the dog as he trotted over to Adrian to sniff him. At Adrian’s signal he sat down, panting as Nate entered, heling Chrys up. “Thanks. Anyways, as you can see, we’ve got this.”   
  
Nate frowned as he saw Rhys. “Do I need to-”   
  
“Probably.” Chrys shrugged. “So, who’s the Tin Man?”   
  
“Paladin Danse of the Brotherhood of Steel.” Danse responded. You must be Chrys. And you are?” He looked Nate up and down.   
  
“Corporal Nathaniel Corriender. Call me Nate.” Nate grinned. “To find military types out here is a relief. I’m going to look at my brother’s work, it’s not that I don’t trust it, I’m just a trained medical professional and he’s sloppy with his stitches.”   
  
Danse nodded. “Well, it’s always a relief to have someone with your skills here.” He watched as Nate went over, shaking his head and pulling out a switchblade, setting up a medical station. Haylen stood by observing and he showed her what he was doing.

When Rhys started to complain she smacked him. “Shut it. He’s helping you. He doesn’t need to but he is.”   
  
Adrian shook his head looking to Chrys. “You up for an adventure?”   
  
“Actually I’d like to borrow one of you to help clean out Beantown of raiders.” Nate called. “I can’t do it alone, unfortunately. I’d prefer if it were Adrian, but if they need the muscle, I’ll take my brother.”   
  
“I’m down to fuck with raiders.” Chrys grinned. He kissed Adrian on the cheek. “I’ll make sure to fuck them up good for you.”   
  
Nated finished, tying the bandage and handing a stim-pac to Haylen. “He’ll be set in an hour or so. Back to pacing and brooding.”   
  
Haylen laughed at that, making Rhys scowl. “Nice one.” She patted his shoulder as Nate got up, he and Chrys heading out.   
  
“Well, we should get going.” Danse said, heading to the door. Adrian nodded and followed.   
  
Along the way the pair chatted amicably, Danse admiring the mods he had done to his armor. Danse showed him his rifle, Adrian mentioning he could probably make it more efficient for him. Danse was very interested in that and they passed one by so Adrian tinkered around a bit, handing it back to him, patting Danse on the back. The other man staggered a bit.

“Thanks, Adrian.” Danse looked it over. “Very nice.”   
  
“Aye.” The large man grinned. “Crafting things is a hobby of mine. Though I specialize in armor mods.”   
  
“I can see that.” Danse nodded. “Your armor is quite bulky, yet you move so fluidly as if it weighs nothing at all.”   
  
“Comes with all the constant training I did. Before the bombs dropped I’d been out for under a year. Chrys and I had just gotten a place together since we’d decided we were going to see if there could be an “Us”.”   
  
“How long had you two known each other?”   
  
“About 8 years. Chrys was 16 when I met him. While most would becry that I’m too old I just viewed him as Nate’s kid brother. My surprise after the seventeen court marshals he’d been witness to and the trial that rocked the country, he’d stuck around in the military and had chosen to prove how wrong the stereotype was. Then there was the was and he started a confirmed kill count that made him the envy of everyone around him. He’s exceptionally dangerous to his enemies. He flew through the ranks, never letting anyone doubt that he hadn’t earned it. Dueing the Red Dawn, he took out Xi Kao Po, the Crimson General in what most viewed as a suicide mission. He was mia for a week as he walked through enemy encampments taking out their leaders. His steal and evasion tactics were the new standard that the Cover Ops used as the training manual. Though he tends to underestimate a lot due to his need to prove himself.” Adrian shook his head. “He’s also extremely belligerent and insubordinate to boot. Can’t keep his mouth shut.”   
  
Danse grunted. “Now I fear leaving him and Rhys together.”   
  
“There will probably be blood…”   
  
\---------------------------------------

  
  


“What the actual fuck is wrong with both of you?!?!” Adrian held Chrys against the wall as he glared death at Rhys who was being tended to by Nate.   
  
Danse just sighed and rubbed at his face. “I don’t know what to say…”   
  
“Tell him to take. It. Back.” Chrys growled. “Fucking pig deserved to get stabbed.”   
  
“You’re the same as the rest of the scum out there!” Rhys argued back.   
  
“Fuck you!” Chrys attempted to slip out of Adrian’s grasp but the alpha just pinned him to the ground and held his boot to the man’s back.   
  
“Enough, both of you!” Adrian roared at them. “You are a team. Learn to work together.”   
  
Danse glared at Rhys. “You know better, Rhys.” He turned to the omega. “I was told you have a military background. Since I would hardly doubt Adrian’s words I can tell you are incredibly insubordinate. Pull your act together and act your station, soldier.”   
  
The large man stomped off towards the back of the station. Chrys bristled at everyone and left towards the roof access. Nate sighed, finishing up his work on Rhys, leaving him to Haylen and went after Danse motioning Adrian to follow his man.   
  
Adrian found him sitting at the edge of the roof, the sky cloudy with what appeared to be storms in the horizon. Adrian extracted himself from his armor and sat next to him, taking the omega’s hand in his. They sat there for a while, just looking out at the city. It had changed from the one they knew.   
  
“You know… It was here at this station I took the next step in my new life and forged a path for those like me.” Chrys said after some time. “The first Omega to work for the Boston PD.”   
  
“I remember when you got through the door on your first day.” Adrian grinned. “I remembered thinking that I was lucky to get the attention of a guy like that. Smart, passionate, and knew how to take care of himself. I bragged to Dad about it. That I’d finally got the guy I was chasing for so long. Once he took a break from breaking every record before him.”   
  
“Just a breather.” Chrys smiled. “Got a whole world in front of us to conquer.”   
  
“Well,” Adrian cupped the smaller man’s face with his free hand. “How about we start with helping out these new soldiers. Give the Brotherhood a shot. I know Nate wants to help Preston.”   
  
Chrys leaned his head into his touch. “Alright. We can work with them for now. I do like the sound of Warlord Chrys though.”   
  
“Warlord Adrian is better. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you as my concubine and mate.” Adrian pulled him in for a passionate kiss.


End file.
